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ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, INCLUDING WATER RESOURCES ADEQUACY

The environment constantly undergoes multiple changes, changes that are occurring over different temporal and spatial scales. As a result, it is vital that natural resources are managed in a sustainable manner. Adequate supplies of raw water resources are paramount to uMngeni-uThukela Water, which together with reliable sources of energy, water treatment chemicals and other resources are crucial for sustainability of the water business.

The entity, therefore, is steadfast in protecting, conserving and using and sustaining these resources efficiently.

Environmental management programmes and plans are embedded in all components of the water business lifecycle, namely, during planning, construction, operation and decommissioning. uMngeni-uThukela Water has classified its environmental management programmes as Corporate, Operational or Integrated Environmental Management:

Corporate Environmental Management focuses on aligning the business activities to environmental sustainability and promoting a shift towards the state of a green economy;
Integrated Environmental Management focuses on identification, mitigation and implementation of management plans for potential environmental impacts associated with infrastructure developments.

uMngeni-uThukela Water, as a public water services entity in South Africa, complies with all mandatory environmental disclosure requirements. Notwithstanding this, the entity continues to improve alignment of environmental indicators with other national and internationally accepted indicator disclosure requirements, King IV Report on Corporate Governance, in terms of materiality and relevance. Relevant aspects include materials, including chemicals and water resources, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprint mapping, biodiversity and waste management.

WATER RESOURCES ADEQUACY

uMngeni uThukela Water leverages water sector partnerships and collaborations to respond to the challenges facing the region including water availability, redistribution,
demand management and drought and impact of climate change. Its core business function is to treat and supply bulk potable water – a business highly dependent on the availability of sustainable water resources. The reconciliation between water resource
availability and water demand is, therefore, of primary importance to the entity and forms an integral part of the infrastructure planning process. Understanding what water resources are available to the entity, both current and future resources, and what factors affect the assurance level of these resources is crucial to balancing supply with customer demand and maintaining supply sustainability into the future.

The primary water sources used by the entity is distributed across four major water resource systems, namely, the Mgeni System (Mooi and Mgeni rivers), the North Coast System (uMdloti, iMvutshane, uThukela and uMvoti rivers) and the South Coast System (Nungwane, Mzimayi, uMuziwezinto and Mhlabatshane rivers). Total water withdrawal by source is shown in the below graph. In addition, UUW is currently installing equipment to monitor the water resources in the KCDM area as this installation will enable efficient management of the water resources in the area.

Water Withdrawal by Source (million m3)

In the reporting period, progress was made with the following water resource dam developments:

The construction of Phase 1 of the uMkhomazi Water Project (Smithfield Dam) is anticipated to be completed by 2032;
Hazelmere Dam raising (DWS) has been completed but awaiting a licence to impound which is expected at the end of 2024;
Approximately 75% progress has been achieved for Ngwadini Phase 1. The contract for Ngwadini Dam and Associated Infrastructure has been awarded. The project construction completion is planned for 2027.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND WATER RESOURCES

The natural climate is the prime determinant of water resources availability, whether surface or groundwater. Sufficient water that is fit for purpose is key to the business of uMngeni-uThukela Water. During the year under review, uMngeni-uThukela Water implemented the organisational Climate Change Response Policy. The main purpose of the policy is to provide a framework for uMngeni-uThukela Water’s just transition to a climate resilient and lower carbon water entity. The objectives of the policy are to:

Provide a co-ordinated and integrated uMngeni-uThukela Water response to Climate Change and its impacts on all aspects of the water value chain;
Manage climate change impacts effectively through implementing interventions that reduce the organisation’s vulnerability, build its resilience and adaptive capacity to the impacts of climate change; and
Assist uMngeni-uThukela Water contribute fairly to the global efforts to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions to a level that avoids anthropogenic interference with the climate system and enables sustainable development.

During 2023/2024 a climate change implementation plan was implemented. This plan is integrated to the overarching uMngeni-uThukela Water sustainability implementation plan and incorporates targets for both mitigation and adaptation
responses, where the mitigation targets are aimed at reducing the organisation’s greenhouse gas emission, while the adaptation initiatives responds directly to water resource and water supply sustainability and are aimed at buiding the organisation’s resilience to the current and protected impacts of climate change which includes reduced streamflow, extreme weather events (wet spells and dry spells), poor water quality, catchment degradadtion and ecological collase.

The climate mitigation interventions that were implemented during the period under review included carbon emissions reduction related practices such as monitoring energy usage, water usage, undertaking a feasibility study for the solar power insallation at seven (7) uMngeni-uThukela Water sites; undertaking a feasibility study for the Darvill WWTWs co-generation; appointment of service provider to undertake detailed feasibility of the Mpofana Hydropower installation; and implementation of ecological infrastructure interventions that have benefts for climate regulation and carbon sequestration.

The implemented adapatation interventions on the other hand, included the monitoring drought paramaters; monitoring of flood parameters; development and implementation of an annual flood drill plan; issuing of flood early warnings to various operational sites; communication of weekly water resource status updates on various digital media plartforms; installation of automated river level monitoring equipments at various sites; setting up of a hydronet subscription for hydro alerts and maps that will be integrated into the flood forecasing and early warning system; calibration of hydraulic model for the flood forecasting and early warning system; setting up of a web-based dashboard for viewing the flood early warning system by external users; development and implementation of water safety plans for water quality management; implementation of catchment management and ecological infrastructure interventions that support water quality enhancement and sustainable water supply.

In terms of climate change related stakeholder engagement, during 2023/2024, uMngeni-uThukela Water actively participated at the KwaZulu-Natal Climate Change Committee quarterly meetings that are chaired by the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs who is the regurator for climate change in SA. UUW participated at the the KZN SALGA Climate Change Compact to create awareness on the interventions that are implemented by the organitation. Two (2) climate change sector department trainitions were attended by uMngeni-uThukela Water, one on the climate change response strategy for the water and sanitation which included incorporation of climate change on to water safety plans and the other on green economy and just transition.

WASTEWATER REUSE

uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) is operating a water recovery plant at its Darvill Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW)). The 2 Ml/d plant comprises a conventional wastewater treatment plant to provide process water for the Darvill WWTP, followed by an advanced tertiary treatment plant. The plant is being used for evaluating the effectiveness of reuse processes and for demonstrating to communities the benefits of wastewater reuse to applicable potable water standards. Recently UUW completed a WRC study, which successfully illustrated the effectiveness of the plant in producing potable water complying with the South African National Standard Drinking Water specification (SANS 241:2015). Partnerships are now being developed with various Universities i.e. Venda and UNISA, to utilise this facility for further research.

RAW WATER QUALITY

The status of raw water quality per resource is shown in Table 11.1 and Figure 11.2. Water quality risks in uMngeni-uThukela Water supply catchments arise from factors including: eutrophication (nutrient enrichment and its associated threats including algal blooms, taste and odours and aquatic weed infestations), faecal contamination and associated pathogen risks, suspended solids and chemical constituents (including iron and manganese). This impacts on treatability, chemical usage and other cost implications, and may contribute to final water non-compliance with the South African National Standard Drinking Water specification (SANS 241: 2015). Source and raw water quality monitoring is undertaken to assess and mitigate treatability risks, optimise raw water quality and provide early warning of adverse raw water quality that can be expected at the water treatment works.

Resource Water Quality

Catchment water quality management plans include:

Monitoring of water resource quality to assess raw water treatability;
Assessing risks associated with deteriorating trends in eutrophication, chemical contamination, pathogens and turbidity;
Engaging in catchment management activities to influence resource quality and quantity objectives that will balance environmental objectives and safeguarding consumer health;
Monitoring and improving the quality of waste discharges from operational sites.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), as the custodian of South Africa’s water resources, is kept informed of the quality, trends and potential risks associated with raw water resources.

CATCHMENT WATER QUALITY INTERVENTIONS

In response to the water quality issues highlighted under the raw water quality section, uMngeni-uThukela Water implements an integrated catchment management program. The interventions that were implemented during 2023/2024 are shown in Table 11.2.

WATER LOSS MANAGEMENT

uMngeni-uThukela Water strives to use the water abstracted from resources assiduously. Water balancing and water loss management measures are in place per treatment system. Overall, water loss levels have been maintained below the entity’s target level of 5% over the years. Water loss trends are shown below.

Water Losses

MATERIALS USAGE AND EFFICIENCY

Water is the most significant input material for uMngeni-uThukela Water, as described in the previous section, followed by energy, which is discussed below. In addition, uMngeni-uThukela Water has a high reliance on water treatment chemical resources and is, therefore, committed to improving the usage efficiency thereof.

CHEMICALS USAGE AND EFFICIENCY

The chemical usage trend for the past five years is presented in Figure 11.4. During the current assessment period, uMngeniuThukela Water utilised a total of 11.8 million kg of water treatment chemicals. A notable increase in chemical usage was observed compared to the previous year. This escalation is likely due to the need to treat larger volumes of raw water of suboptimal quality, a consequence of catchment activities, as well as the operation of additional plants and the expansion of our operational footprint. The use of water treatment chemicals was essential to ensuring that potable water consistently met the required quality standards and maintained these standards up to the point of use.

uMngeni-uThukela Water has implemented various initiatives to optimise the use of water treatment chemicals. These include:

Testing the effectiveness of water treatment chemicals for each raw water system / plant. This informs the selection of the optimal treatment chemical and therefore prevents inefficiency / unnecessary usage;
Monthly chemical optimisation audits to ensure that optimal use of treatment chemicals is maintained and to facilitate a prompt response should a problem be identified through the monthly sampling;
Monitoring and evaluation of the water treatments process per plant, which identifies areas of process improvement and operational efficiency;
Monitoring and assessing seasonal variation of the water column / dam levels to assess levels with optimal raw water quality;
Participating in catchment management activities and forums and contributing to the information base, including provision of water quality data. This influences decisions on catchment land use activities and more sustainable development.

ENERGY USAGE, CARBON FOOTPRINT AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION INITIATIVES

Carbon footprint can be described as the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents or CO2e) for which an organisation or site is responsible for or has control over, resulting from business activities. The entity’s carbon emissions are shown in Figure 11.5.

uMngeni-uThukela Water wants to take full ownership of all emissions that it can control, influence and reduce. Scope 1 emissions refer to direct emissions that the organisation can control, whereas scope 2 and 3 emissions are indirect emissions controlled by third party organisations.

Table 11.3 shows the GHG Emissions for scopes 1, 2 and 3 where increament is notable in association with expansion of the operational area. uMngeni-uThukela Water’s direct CO2 emission (Scope 1) contributions emanate mainly from vehicles, boats, generators and methane production from anaerobic wastewater treatment process
(Figure 11.5). Indirect GHG emissions are predominantly due to electricity consumption (>99%) which is one of the main inputs to water and wastewater treatment processes. (Table 11.3).

uMngeni-uThukela Water is in the process of investigating and implementing sustainable initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint. The main initiative that is proposed for implementation is the development of an electricity cogeneration plant at Darvill WWTW that will utilise the methane produced at this plant to produce electricity. Preliminary studies indicate that energy produced from this system can reduce the Darvill WWTW’s energy demand by approximately 40%. Other initiatives to reduce and offset the organisation’s emissions form part of the organisation’s Environmental Sustainability Plan.

GREEN BUILDING

uMngeni-uThukela Water’s objective of greening its operational and future infrastructure is driven and supported by its desire to shift towards environmental sustainability. Green buildings not only reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the environment by using less water, energy or natural resources, but may also have a positive impact on the environment by generating their own energy or by increasing biodiversity. Key drivers of the need for green building include climate change, energy, water security, waste reduction, healthy working environments and biodiversity.

As a water utility, uMngeni-uThukela Water can play a significant role in the green building sector through its comprehensive Capital Expenditure Programme, which involves the provision of vital infrastructure required to enhance assurance of water supply. Therefore, uMngeni-uThukela Water has since developed a Green Building Policy with the following objectives:

To facilitate the adoption of green building principles and construction techniques into all types of development;
To influence development to achieve improved sustainable outcomes;
To advocate for a more sustainable approach;
To demonstrate leadership in commitments to sustainable development.

This policy provides a framework to structure the approach to achieving sustainable design outcomes, commitment and minimum requirements for its implementation.

One of the projects that have been identified for Green Star Certification is the Lower uMkomaas Bulk Water Supply Scheme which is a scheme that will serve eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and Ugu District Municipality. The planned infrastructure comprises the raw water infrastructure and the bulk water treatment works. The administration building situated at the water treatment works is earmarked for certification.

INTEGRATED CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

In 2019, uMngeni-uThukela Water Executive Committee and Board identified the deterioration in the quality of catchment or raw water resources and the associate impacts of climate change as a strategic risk. This deterioration impacts on the quality and quantity of raw water resources which are paramount to uMngeni-uThukela Water’s core business of sustainable water supply. Implications include supply limitation, high water treatment costs, high infrastructure design costs, decreased affordability of customers, non-payment for water services by customers and several other risks. The source of the problem of poor catchment health stems from several factors including, poor land use practices, poor mindset and behaviour of water users towards water resources, lack of pollution reduction/ prevention from source, lack of coordination of water resource management activities at catchment level, poor compliance monitoring and enforcement by regulators, lack of institutional capacity within the mandated departments for environmental and water resource protection and lack of integration between water users/stakeholders.

These issues are a symptom of a failure of traditional water resource management approaches in which water resource management was highly centralised and did not encourage an holistic approach to water resource management where there is:

participation of all water users/stakeholders including communities in water resource management decision making;
coordinated development and management of water, land and related reosurces to maximise socio-economic welfare without compromising the sustainability of vital ecological infrastructure and the associated ecosystem services; and
where every water user is responsible for managing their water use and prevent/minimise/treats pollution at source.

In response to to the serious and urgent challenge of deterioration of catchment health, in 2019 uMngeni-uThukela Water established a Catchment Management unit within its scientific Services Division. The primary mandate of the newly established department is to implement catchment interventions that will improve water resource quality and availability trategic water supply catchments. Since water is shared resource among different users, efforts towards its effective management require coordination and collaboration between stakeholders in order to ensure effectiveness of interventions. The catchment management initiatives undertaken by uMngeni-uThukela Water during the 2023/2024 period are discussed below.

CATCHMENT ASSESSMENTS

Catchment assessments are undertaken or updated on a annual basis to help improve the understanding of the different land use activities and other stressors that affect raw water quality and availability. During the period under review catchment assesssments and updates were undertaken for the following catchments:

Mooi water resource unit
Midmar
Albert Falls Dam – Nagle
Inanda
Home Farm or Ixopo water resource unit
Nungwane
Mthwalume
Umzinto – Mzimayi
Mhlabatshane
Imvusthane
Mhlathuze and
Middle uThukela catchments.

Overall outcomes of the catchment assessments indicated that the main land use and water use types that affects catchment health within uMngeni-uThukela Water area of operation include discharges from waterwater treatment works; raw sewer discharges from poorly maintained sewer infrastructure; nutrient inputs from agricultural runoff; ecological/environmental degradation; poor solid waste management; extreme weather events; ecological infrastructure transformation to agricultural lands; poor development and spatial planning; urbanisation and the associated poor sanitation services; unsustainable agricultural practices; soil erosion; alien invasive plant infestation; industrial discharges or chemical spillages; illegal sand mining; and poor mindset and behaviour of water users towards water management. Biodiversity Management – Aquatic Alien Invasive Weeds Management Well-managed and sustainable water resources are critical to uMngeni-uThukela Water’s core function of providing sustainable water supply. Alien aquatic weeds invading various water resources pose a significant risk to water security. The aquatic weeds of main concern in uMngeni-uThukela Water impoundments and supply rivers include Water Hyacinth (Pntederia crassipes); Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes); Kariba weed (Salvinia molesta); Parrots feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) and Honwort (Ceratophyllum demersum). These free-floating and submerged aquatic alien invasive weeds are extremely difficult to control in eutrophic water resources due to their exponential growth rate. To ensure the effective management of these invasive weeds, interventions are implemented both in the upstream catchments as well as at the infested uMngeni-uThukela Water operated dams. An integrated approach adopted at both upstream catchments and at the infested dams, where a combination of biocontrol, manual removal and herbicide spraying is undertaken to ensure effective management of the weeds. In order to be effective, this work is undertaken in collaboration with key stakeholders including, communities, Community Based Organisation, Non-Governmetal Organisations, Non-Profit Organisations and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment’s (DFFE) Working for Water Programme.

The alien aquatic weeds management interventions undertaken during the period under review included:

Regular site inspections and and implementation of integrated
methods of management (biocontrol, herbicide spraying and
manual removal) at infested catchments and dams to reduce
infestation.
Undertaking boat surveys for Inanda Dam, Albert Falls, Ixopo Home Farm Dam and Hazelmere Dam.
Development and implementation of integrated catchment management plans for aquatic weeds infestation at Inanda Dam, Ixopo Home Farm Dam and E.J. Smith Dam in collaboration with the uMngeni-uThukela Water internal stakeholders (Operations, Water and Environmental Services) Centre for Biological Control (CBC) of Rhodes University, Msinsi Holdings, DFFE and Duzi-Umngeni Conservation Trust. The management plans outline the procedures for the monitoring, control and the management approaches that are being adopted to control the infestation. Interventions aim to treat the problem at source and
also treat the symptoms of the problem.
- - Regular inspections at all infested sites.
  - Undertaking desktop assessments using satellite remote sensing imagery.
  - Providing support to the Municipalities for sewer leaks/ infrastructure monitoring.
  - Achiving low residual risk of infestation.
  - Liaison with DFFE and relevant stakeholders to support weed management efforts in the upstream catchment of the infested or vulnerable dams.
  - Operation and maintenance of the Inanda Dam and Lynnfield Park biocontrol mass rearing facilities.
  - Mass release of biocontrol agents at infested sites.
  - Procurement/sourcing of herbicide for spraying at infested sites.
  - Appointment of contractors to undertake herbicide spraying at infested sities.
  - Continous aquatic weeds research and training in collaboration with the CBC of Rhodes University
  - Undertook a helicopter survey to assess weed infestation status at Inanda Dam.
  - Impoundment shoreline boat survey of Inanda Dam with the support from the CBC of Rhodes University.
  - Undertook aerial herbicide praying and the associated water quality monitoring of Inanda Dam.
  - Visited the Magalies Water hartbeespoort dam to learn from the beneficiation project.
Undertaking monthly progress meetings with uMngeni-uThukela Water Aquatic Weeds Management Working Group constisting of internal and external stakeholders to support the implementation

INVESTMENT IN ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Ecological infrastructure is defined as the nature-based equivalent of built or hard infrastructure. It refers to ecosystems that function naturally to deliver invaluable services to people and the environment including enhanced water quality and sustainable water supply, soil erosion management, climate regulation and disaster risk reduction. Ecological infrastructure includes catchments, rivers, wetlands, groundwater resources, inland and coastal areas, nodes and corridors of natural habitats, which together form a network of interconnected natural structural elements in the landscape.

Management and protection of ecological infrastructure ensures sustainable water availability, and therefore is as fundamental to uMngeni-uThukela Water’s business as engineered infrastructure development. uMngeni-uThukela Water’s initiatives on investment in ecological infrastructure are aligned to national government priorities and specified on the National Development Plan. This also include the key principles that guides investment in ecological infrastructure as recommended by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI ). The ecological infrastructure related initiatives undertaken by uMngeni-uThukela Water in the year include:

WETLAND RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT

During the 2023/2024 financial year the following wetland management targets were achived to support sustainable water supply at strategic dams:

Monitoring and Maintenace of the Mphophomeni Sakabula, Upper Mzinzima and Lower Mthinzima wetland rehabilitation for reducing the impacts of effluent from the Mpophomeni WWTWs.
Significant progress made on the rehabilitation of the Mthinzima wetland to enhance or polish the raw sewage from the leaking Mpophomeni sewer pipelines before it can be discharge to Mthinzima River that supplies water to Midmar Dam.
Engagement of key stakeholders (authorities and municipalities) on the implementation of the Bayenspruit wetland rehabilitation strategy to improve the water quality of Msunduzi River and Inanda Dam.
Engagement of key stakeholders (authorities and municipalities) on the implementation of the Ixopo wetland rehabilitation strategy to improve the water quality of Ixopo Home farm Dam.
Commencement of the construction of the Darvill artificial wetland.

SOIL EROSION MANAGEMENT: THE UPPER MKHOMAZI CATCHMENT RESTORATION

The Department of Water and Sanitation, uMngeni-uThukela Water and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority are implementing the Mkhomazi-Mngeni Transfer Scheme to meet the current and future water demands of eThekwini Metro and surrounding areas. The major challenge is that the catchment upstream of the proposed Smithfield Dam in the uMkhomazi River is already highly degraded and a significant proportion of the remainder is at a high risk of future similar degradation. Technical experts have generated a number of scenarios related to the rate of sediment deposition that might occur in the proposed dam and the most reasonable scenario indicate that the dam would lose about half of its volume to sediment over 100 years.

In addition, highly turbid water due to sedimentation and siltation will contribute significantly to an increase in purification costs. Climate change, bringing both droughts and more intense rainfall events to this area, is likely to accelerate erosion and subsequent dam sedimentation and further increase turbidity. Population demographics for the uMkhomazi area show that 68% of people living in the area have no formal income and 10% earn less than R3 500 per month. Women are particularly vulnerable with 8 755 female-headed households of which about 3 492 are reliant on unprotected water sources. Many households survive by supplementing social grant and transfer payments with small-scale stock and crop production.

uMngeni-uThukela Water has partnered with with communities and stakeholders to share knowledge on practices that will lead to the restoration of the Upper Mkhomazi landscape. In addition to improving water security and reducing the cost of water treatment, this initiative creates significant direct and indirect economic opportunities to local residents and improve biodiversity with associated ecosystem benefits. However, it is anticipated that the benefits of successful conservation and restoration will, over the long term, far outweigh the costs. The dam itself (estimated cost at R30 billion) is likely to deliver limited local economic opportunities and most benefits benefits will accrue from upstream protection rather than from the dam itself. The first phase of the project was completed in 2020, phase 2 commenced in 2020 and was completed in in December 2023. Phase 3 is currently underway in collaboration with collaborators.

The overall objective of this project is use nature based solutions to address the severe land degradation and invasive alien plant infestation in the Upper Mkhomazi Catchment so as to improve water security, the livelihood prospects of local residents and biodiversity outcomes. This is being achieved through implementation of catchment management and ecological infrastructure interventions at degraded areas located upstream of the proposed Smithfield Dam. During 2023/2024 the following targets interventions were implemented:

Expanding on restoration activities and implementing improved rangeland management at restoration sites. This included establishing two (2) additional hacters degraded land protected by Vetiver hedgerows in conjunction with brushpacks; 40 additional hacters of invasive alien wattle celared to create brushpacks; 29 additional hactres of household agricultural land applying conservation agriculture in collaboration with 100 local farmers who successfully
implemented conservation agriculture and had herbicide and seed supply assistance.
Building and supporting local institutional development for sustainability. This included hosting a farmer’s exchange workshop that was on 24 August 2023 to promote knowledge sharing and collaborations among farmers, officials, and
stakeholders.
Monitoring and Evaluation of implemented interventions. This entailed undertaking monitoirng of the brushpacks that were established during phase 2 at 4 restoration sites.
Training and capacity Development. This included training and supporting 60 Eco-rangers across the 15 Dip Tank Committees. In addition, a specialized training was provided in Inzinga for enterprise management and bioturbation, which is a technique for ecological restoration through the controlled trampling of livestock.
Influencing the development of Municipal Integrated Development Plans to creating an enabling environment for catchment management. This included engaging four (4) municipalities to include catchment management on their IDPs.
Building and strengthening partnerships. This included holding two (2) Mkhomazi Working group workshops/ engagements to develop a vision and strategy for the Mkhomazi Working Group Partnership.
Facilitating further investment from local and international investors. This entailed submitting proposals to potential funders and collaborators for co-funding and catchment management related work that can be implemented in the
Upper Mkhomazi focus areas.

ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER SECURITY PROJECT (EI4WS) – UMNGENI-UTHUKELA WATER-SANBI COLLABORATION

The Ecological Infrastructure for water security project is a five year $7.2 million (approximately R90 million) worth investment from from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with considerable cofinance from various collaboration with South African partners. The Department of Environmental Affairs is the National focal point for this project, the Development bank of South Africa (DBSA ) is the Implementing Agent for the GEF and SANBI is the project executing agency. The Project aims to transform the way people think about, value and invest in water and ecosystems, and will lead to increased investment in the management of ecological infrastructure in the future.

The project acknowledges the reality that, South Africa’s water security depends not only on our built water infrastructure, but also on well managed land and biodiversity ecosystems in our catchments. As such the project also recognises the urgent need to bring investment in the management, maintenance and restoration of ecosystems into the planning, financing and development in the water sector. It is antidipated that such investments will create more jobs and advance SA’s developmental agenda, especially in face of a changing climate. The EI4WS project is designed in close consultation with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), and supports the implementation of the National Water Resource Strategy and the Call to Action of the Water and Sanitation Master Plan. Project implementation is through a suite of partnerships involving several other public, private and civil society organisations, such as the DWS,
the WRC, WWF-SA and uMngeni-uThukela Water.

The project was launched as a development finance institution with the ability to take the country’s natural capital into account in development financing.

As part of the signed collaboration agreement betwee uMngeniuThukela Water and SANBI, the following achievements were attained in the year under review:

Completing of mapping of woody alien invasive Vegetation in the Greater Mngeni System;
Completion of the review of biodiversity offesets framework;
Project management and training of the Mpophomeni Amanzi Champions that are contracted to undertake community based water resource managemet using citizen science tools at Mpophomeni, including monitoring and maintenance of the Mthinzima wetland.
Completed situational analysis of the project to confirm of eligibility/suitability of catchments for the implementation of the Waste Discharge Charge System;
Completed the situational analysis of the project to develop a detailed costing for the ecological infrastructure component of the Phongolo-Mthamvuna Catchment Management Strategy;
Completed sitiational naysis of the project to investigate of the full cost of water for different water user groups in the catchment and explore opportunities within the water value chain to ensure equitable allocation of full costs of water amongst different users.

SMART CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

The smart catchment management initiative that were undertaken during the period under review included undertaking calibration of the catchment water quality model; calibrating the hydraulic model of the flood early warning system; completing the hydronet system hydro-alerts configuration; establishing a Water Security Action Hub for Mobilising action towards water security and sustainable water supply; catchment parameter monitoring using citizen science tools in collaboration with Amanzi Champions; monitoring of aquatic weeds investation using satellite imagery and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; and undertaking satellite based water quality monitoring at uMngeni-uThukela Water selected dams.

Reserve / Site	Hectares Removed (Ha)
Albert Falls Dam	545.71
Spring Grove Dam	98
Hazelmere Dam	95.56
Inanda Dam	183.45
Nagle Dam	521.2
Mvutshane Dam	148
Nungwane Dam	98
Darvill WWTW	54.88
EJ Smith Dam	37
Mzinto Dam	50.4
Ixopo (Aquatics)	28.5
Mhlabatshane	48
Upper Mkomazi	40

WATER USE COMPLIANCE: LICENCE STATUS

The National Water Act, Act No 36 of 1998 (NWA), requires that water-use licences are obtained before any water-use activity or development can be undertaken. Water use is defined as undertaking activities that have an impact on a water resource.

The impact may be on the amount of water in the resource, the quality of water in the resource and the environment surrounding the resource. Section 21 of the NWA lists 11 water uses as requiring a water-use licence before they can be undertaken. Of the 11 listed water uses, only seven (7) are applicable to uMngeni-uThukela Water and include:

Taking water from a water resource (water abstractions);
Storing water (raw waterstorage in a dams);
Impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse (river or wetland crossing or construction of a dam or weir);
Discharging waste or water containing waste into a water resource through a pipe, canal, sewer, sea outfall or other conduits (discharges from WWTW and WTW to the river);
Disposing of waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water resource (sludge solids disposal);
Altering the bed, banks, course or characteristics of a watercourse (river or wetland crossing or construction of a dam or weir);
Engaging in a controlled activity (Irrigation with wastewater/sludge).

Water users can include any entity or individual whose operations trigger the water uses that are listed in section 21 of the NWA. To ensure compliance with the requirements of the NWA, the water-use licence status and compliance was monitored and quarterly reporting was undertaken. This included developing and implementing action plans to obtain outstanding licences and compliance with the conditions of the existing authorisations.

The status of water use licence applications for CAPEX Projects (new infrastructure development projects) is presented in the figure below:

The Status of Water Use Licences for Operational Water Uses (existing water uses) is presented in the figure below:

COMPLIANCE WITH WATER USE LICENCE (WUL) CONDITIONS

A comprehensive audit assessing compliance with Water Use Licence (WUL) conditions was conducted and finalized in the 2023/2024 reporting year. The non-compliances raised were mainly due to issues related to flood damage and increased demand. An external audit of the Mhlathuze River abstraction license was completed and submitted to DWS. The audit revealed a few minor issues, such as the need to remove alien plants, which can be resolved through regular daily operations. Collaborative efforts are in progress to rectify these issues, these include maintaining a communication with DWS, and ensure continuous improvement in all of UUW operational sites.

In terms of the offshore discharge system, UUW is compliant with most of the permit conditions. The only challenging area is that of quality compliance due to poor performing Contributors. The problematic Contributors have been identified and have been requested to put together a project plan that seeks to address these compliance issues. The plan is monitored quarterly as well as through frequent engagements with the relevant contributing industries. The authorities are also kept updated on the performance offshore in terms of effluent volumes, quality as well as in the case of Section 30 incidents.

In terms of the non-compliance with water use licence abstraction limits in the the Mngeni System, uMngeni-uThukela Water assisted uMsunduzi and eThekwini Municipality to develop a plan of action to reduce their water demand volumes within a period of 6 months from 10 October 2023 to 10 April 2024. The action plan also indicated that, should any of the Municipalities fail to reduce their planned demand within six (6) months, uMngeni-uThukela Water will have to curtail water supply at the water treatment plans to force compliance with the licence limits. Regarding progress, uMsunduzi Municipality has done well in reducing its demand, while eThekwini Municipality’s demand is still well above their planned reduced demand due to procurement related reasons. The eThekwini Municipality submitted a motivation to DWS to extend their 6-month grace period so they can be able to finalise procurement and implement water demand interventions. DWS granted eThekwini an extension up to October 2024 to reduce their demand before UUW can curtail supply at the water treatment works.

MSINSI HOLDINGS SUSTAINABLE LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Msinsi Holdings SOC Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of uMngeniuThukela Water, is mandated to manage the land and biodiversity of the areas around the dams owned or managed by uMngeni-uThukela Water in a manner that balances the divergent factors of local community development provision of recreational facilities for the public and water resources/biodiversity protection.

These reserves are located at:

Spring Grove Dam;
Albert Falls Dam;
Nagle Dam;
Inanda Dam;
Hazelmere Dam.

The following sites have been incoporated into the scope of Msinsi for
implementing catchment management inteventions associated with
alien invasive plant eradication:

Nungwane Dam;
Imvutshani Dam;
Mhlabatshane Dam;
Umzinto Dam;
EJ Smith Dam;
Darvill Wastewater Treatment Works;
Ixopo Dam (aquatic weeds).

Detailed management plans for each of the reserves in line with
industry best practice have been completed and form the basis for
all operations in the reserves. In the past year, Msinsi succeeded in
protecting the habitats and ensuring an ecological sustainable and
protected water environment through implementing its resource
management plans which focused on:

The management of the game and species according to the carrying capacity of each reserve;
Local community development;
Recreation for the public;
Grassland management;
Pollution control within purchase areas;
Removal of alien invasive plants (terrestrial and aquatics).

The ecological balance was managed effectively during this period through the implementation of Reserve Management Plans. In particular,carrying capacity was managed to ensure sustainability of wildlife populations and measures to mitigate poaching, which has been a significant threat to the reserve wildlife, were put in place.

Security patrols are conducted as per a patrol plan to identify and mitigate security risks to the reserves including ensuring reserve fence lines are in good condition.

Msinsi Holdings continues to be seen as a significant player in the conservation and tourism sector in KwaZulu-Natal. The state-owned company will continue to ensure that ecosystem services provided by water and environmental resources continue to be sustainable.

Stakeholder engagement successfully created value for Msinsi’s operations and the communities at large during this reporting period. As a result, there was no interruption of Msinsi’s operations as a result of community instability in the neighbouring areas.

WASTE MANAGEMENT: REDUCING WASTE AND CONSUMPTION PRESSURE

uMngeni-uThukela Water’s waste management approach centres on complying with applicable regulatory requirements and adhering to circular economy principles. uMngeni-uThukela Water’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the circular economy is documented in the Environmental Sustainability Plan. The initiatives aim to transform the organisation from the typical wasteful linear economic model (take-make-use-dispose) to an economic model that enables economic growth, while aiming to optimise the operation chain in a more sustainable approach. Waste minimisation was identified as one of the crucial initiatives in reducing the amount of waste that is disposed at landfill sites. Therefore, a target was set in 2023/2024 to divert five percent (5%) of the waste from the landfill sites through recycling.

A significant increase of waste diverted from landfill through recycling was observed during 2023/2024 (Figure 11.6 and 11.7). The reported recyclable waste was 10.47% which is above the target of 5%. There were a number of recycling initiatives that were employed by uMngeni-uThukela Water including separation of the waste from source, 3 in 1 recycling bins and placed in strategic positions.

uMngeni-uThukela Water continues to support SA’s recycling businesses. These businesses do not only remove waste in the form of glass, paper, plastic and other non-biodegradable materials from the environment, but also create work for many families that collect and sell waste to recyclers. Recycling also creates alternative income streams for factories where waste materials may be sold to recycling entities rather than being dumped in landfills.

WATER TREATMENT RESIDUES AND WASTE WATER SLUDGE

Management and disposal of sludge and water treatment residues remains a critical issue across uMngeni- uThukela Water operation. Current sludge management practices include on and off-site disposal and river discharges. These current practices are not sustainable due to increasing costs, limited space, environmental concern, and the required legislative requirements. As a result, uMngeni-uThukela Water developed a comprehensive Sludge Management Plan (SMP) for its operational sites.

The water treatment residues will be applied to agricultural land as a soil conditioner whilst the wastewater sludge will be used as organic compost. Land application of water treatment residues offers a sludge management option with potential benefits when applied to soil. The application of water treatment residues to the land helps conserve landfill disposal capacity and natural resources.

Wastewater sludge contains organic matter and nutrients that can provide soil benefits. Preliminary process designs for both options were concluded during the year under reviewland acquisition is for the process yet to be concluded.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF OPERATIONAL SITES

Annual environmental audits are undertaken at operational sites the objectives, which are:

To assess whether the site complies with all applicable environmental legislation and regulations;
To assess internal policy and procedural compliance in relation to environmental management;
To assess the status of energy consumption, waste management and biodiversity management at the site and alignment with corporate environmental sustainability initiatives;
To recommend mitigation measures to address areas of non-conformance. Operational environmental audits were conducted at 24 sites for 2023/2024. Out of 28 findings, four (4) findings were rated major.

ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENTS

In the year under review, there were 12 environmental incidents recorded for the 2023/2024 financial year. This indicates a stable performance in the number of incidents from the previous year. Figure 11.8 provides the comparative analysis for the past five years.

INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

uMngeni-uThukela Water’s core business function is to provide water services – water supply and sanitation services – to other water services institutions. Business relies highly on the natural resource, which is freshwater resources, although there has been measures to venture into other sources of water. In this regard, the natural environment is core to uMngeni-uThukela Water. The assessment and management of environmental aspects, which could arise from the development of new infrastructure projects, is managed through the integrated environmental management system (IEM).

The IEM is a philosophy that is concerned with finding the right balance between development and the environment and provides an overarching framework for the integration of environmental assessment and management principles into environmental decision-making.

The IEM system has various tools, which can be applied at different stages of the activity life cycle such as planning, design, construction, operations and closure. They include conducting environmental screenings, environmental impact assessments (EIAs), Environmental Management Plans (EMPs), auditing, and specialist inputs.

uMngeni-uThukela Water utilises the EIA tool governed by the provisions of the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 (NEMA) which stipulates that projects triggering listed activities as stipulated in the regulations are required to obtain an environmental authorisation (EA) either through a basic assessment (BA) or a scoping and full environmental impact assessment process (EIA). Where project developments do not trigger listed activities as defined in the Act, the environmental screening and EMP tools are utilised to ensure that all the potential environmental impacts emanating from project implementation are eliminated or minimised to acceptable levels.

PROJECTS IN THE PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASES

In the previous financial year, a total of 31 projects were in the Planning or Design phases. During the current reporting period of 2023/2024 , 25 projects were in the Planning or Design phase:

2 projects received environmental authorisations and were cleared to proceed with construction.
19 projects are currently undergoing the environmental authorisation application process.
1 project is in the process of amending its environmental authorisation due to changes made during the design phase.
3 projects did not trigger any listed activities and thus do not require environmental approval. Environmental management plans are being developed internally for these projects to mitigate any negative environmental impacts during construction.
9 projects awaiting construction.

PROJECTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND REHABILITATION PHASES

At the beginning of the 2023/2024 financial year, the organisation had a total of 19 projects that were in the construction phase and had obtained all the required environmental authorisations and permits. As the year progressed, the number of projects increased to 25 projects in the construction phase at the end of the 2023/2024 financial year. During the financial year, environmental audits were conducted and environmental compliance was monitored.

It was observed that there were common recurring findings between the different projects such as inadequate topsoil management, alien plant control, waste management, erosion as well as soil contamination.
Non-compliance notices were issued by the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environmental Affairs (DFFE) for the Nagle Aqueducts 1 & 2 (emergency repairs to flood damage) as well as the Mpophomeni (WWTW upgrade). Mitigation measures have been undertaken and the non-compliances
have been closed.

Risk Rating	No. of Findings	Percent (%)
Minor	16	57
Major	12	43
TOTAL	28	100

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ABOUT US

uMngeni-uThukela Water, a state-owned entity, is one of Africa’s most successful organisations involved in water management and is the largest supplier of bulk potable water in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
The organisation was established in 1974.

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CONTACT US

Head Office

310 Burger Street Pietermaritzburg 3201. South Africa

PO Box 9,
Pietermaritzburg 3200
KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa

Tel: +27 (33) 341 1111
Fax: +27 (33) 341 1167
Toll Free: 0800 331 820

Izintaba Region

7 Portland Road Mkondeni
3201. South Africa